Vitamin Concern at Local School

His seven-year-old second grader has trouble focusing in school, sometimes acting up when he's finished with his work at White Pine Academy. That's why Daniel Whitman went looking for help to solve his son's behavior problem.

That's also when Julie and Gary Smith, a teacher and principal, husband and wife team at Leslie's White Pine Academy School suggested the student might have a vitamin deficiency. The Smiths offered to help the Whitman's get access to fish oil through a national health vitamin and supplement company supplier called Shaklee.

The Smiths are also distributors for the Shaklee Company. According to Shaklee representatives, the company offers financial bonuses to distributors and Shaklee members that are able to encourage other people to purchase their products.

While Smith says he was not trying to gain any profit from his students by suggesting vitamins to remedy behavior problems, he does admit that he is not qualified to diagnose behavior irregularities nor health remedies to solve behavior problems.

Smith says he and his wife were only thinking about the best interest of the child when the two offered to help the Whitman's son start taking supplements for his behavior issues.

Meanwhile, Whitman says he moved his son to another school. He says his son enjoyed his time at the White Pine Academy, but Whitman says the business of selling vitamins and supplements should not mix with his son's education.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.